1. Field
The field of invention involves mobile agricultural sprinklers utilized for spraying fruit trees and various truck farm crops for controlling weeds. The mobile agricultural sprinklers are generally drawn behind a tractor or other device and carry a tank of the solution or slurry to be sprayed. The mobile sprinklers may also be airborne.
2. Prior Art
Mobile sprinklers for agricultural purposes such as spraying fruit trees and truck farm crops have been known and utilized in the agricultural field for some time. Generally, the material to be sprayed is added directly to a storage tank which is placed on a wheeled frame and towed behind a tractor or other propulsion device.
Some of the sprinkling apparatus for adding solutions of chemicals to fruit trees, crops and for weed control utilize a holding tank for water and a separate tank for chemicals wherein the flow rate of chemicals into the water spray system is regulated by the forward speed of the sprayer.
A system having a ground speed correlation is disclosed in Krischmann, U.S. Pat. No. 3,784,100 wherein the concentration remains the same but the flow rate is correlated with the ground speed of the sprinkling system.
Also, in Mihara, U.S. Pat. No. 3,770,198, a sprinkling system is disclosed, which appears to be a fixed sprinkling system utilizing a head tank for water storage wherein the concentration of chemical additive is added to the system depending upon the respective flow rates of the water supply and the chemical additive supply. Mihara utilizes a pressure balance between the water stream and the chemical stream to determine the proportions of each introduced to the spray heads. Further, an emergency system whereby the concentration is detected by other than flow or pressure means is utilized for stopping the chemical stream flow if the system malfunctions. The Mihara system bases its control primarily on a shut-down system whenever the chemical concentration exceeds a certain level. Otherwise, Mihara uses the respective pressures of the water stream and the chemical additive stream to determine the proportions of each to be admixed to be sent to the spray heads.